Anisul Islam Noor :
The India-Bangladesh commerce secretary level meeting was held in Dhaka on Monday. It focused on major trade disputes between two countries, but no discussion took place there on cattle import from India.
Bangladesh must take steps to formalize cattle trade with India, to help keep the local market stable, local traders said.
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed told The New Nation in cell phone last night that the foreign ministry can say about cattle import. He suggested to contact with the foreign ministry officials. Beef prices are soaring due to mainly reduction in supply of cattle from India. A kilogram of beef now sells at Tk 360-380 (with bone) while Tk 450 to 500 (without bone) in the city’s retail shops on Monday. The price was Tk 275 to 320 per kg in December.
“There is an urgent need to increase the supply of cattle from India to stabilise local meat price,” said Golam Mourtaza, President of Bangladesh Meat Merchant Association.
Usually, 3,000 to 3,500 heads of local and imported cattle are brought to the capital from different districts, including Kushtia, Chuadanga and Satkhira, every day. But the figure has now fallen to just 1,000-1,200, according to the association.
The dearth of supply has pushed up the prices of cattle, said Robiul Alam, General Secretary of the association. “We are now buying a 100-kg bull at Tk 42,000-44,000, compared with Tk 30,000-32,000 five months ago.”
Currently, the capital’s demand for beef hovers around 12 tonnes a day, but the supply has now dwindled to less than six tonnes, Alam said.
Benapol putkhali export import point sorces said, cattle supply has fallen alarmingly from India in last few months, as the BSF has increased vigilance.
BGB Company Commander at Putkhali Subeder Shamsur Rahman said in cell phone that on an average 3000 cattle enter Bangladesh every day, coming down to 200 to 300 per day.
Cattle supply from decreased after Indian Home Minister Rajnath Sing called ban on beef and cattle slaughtering.
